Pokemon: Serena's Tale
by DarkHero12
Summary: After finishing her journey with Ash in Kalos. Serena heads off to Hoenn to continue her career as a Pokemon Performer. With new Pokemon by her side, Serena begins a new chapter in her journey. Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. All rights belong to Nintendo and GameFreak. Rated T for violence and I'm paranoid.
1. Prologue

_-Prologue: Till We Compete Again-_

Today was the day that Serena had been both anticipating, and dreading. Today was the day that she, Clement, Bonnie, and Ash were all parting ways. She had decided to go to Hoenn. She had told the others her decision, but she still wished to travel with Ash, who would be going back to his hometown in Kanto. Clement and Bonnie would be staying in Kalos to run the gym. No one was particularly happy that their journey was over. Everyone was reminiscing of the adventures they had shared. Before anyone knew it, it was time for them to head off to the airport.

"Looks like your flight is the next one," Clement said to Serena

"Latias Airlines flight H71 to the Hoenn region will be boarding soon."

"Let's see Serena off first." Ash said.

"Everyone," Serena said just after getting her boarding pass, "We won't be seeing you for a while." She wasn't the only one saying her goodbyes though. Chespin was crying while Pancham tried to comfort him Sylveon was saying goodbye to Bunnelby, Serena still didn't understand why those two got along so well, Hawlucha was trying to be tough in front of Braixen, but wasn't having much luck. Serena looked over to Bonnie and saw that Dedenne was having troubles saying goodbye. Suddenly Dedenne started running off.

"Dedenne!" Bonnie called, running after it. Everyone began searching for it, to no avail.

"Pikachu," Ash said, "find Dedenne." Pikachu started using its electicity to sense Dedenne's location. They found Dedenne hiding behind a billboard.

"Dedenne," Bonnie called, "come on out, please," when Dedenne wouldn't come out, Bonnie said, "I know why, Dedenne doesn't want to say goodbye to everyone. I need you Dedenne. I know you want us to stay together forever because we've had so much fun together. Well so do I. I love everyone too, but we all have dreams of our own. Everyone tries to make their dreams come true. Sure I'm sad, but I've got to stay strong. When I get older, I'm going to become a Pokémon Trainer, and I want you to be my partner. I'll become just as good a performer as Serena, I'll earn a gym badge from my brother, we'll beat Ash and Pikachu and then we'll be number one in Kalos. And so, let's dream too. We can say our goodbyes and still laugh together. What do you say?" Dedenne jumped back into Bonnie's arms, which was answer enough that it agreed.

Ash walked up to the two and said, "Dedenne, you can help Bonnie's dreams come true. You'll see. We will battle someday, and if you've trained enough, you may beat me."

"I know I'm going to have to do my best," Serena added, "or you'll beat me."

"None of us want to lose to you, but that doesn't mean it's not possible."

Suddenly the PA announcer said, "Latias Airlines flight H71 to the Hoenn will be taking off soon. Ticket holders who have not yet done so, please proceed to the gate immediately."

"Okay, it's time to go," Serena said, "Ash, Clement, Bonnie, you've all given me so much, more than I can say. Ash, thank you, I'm so glad I could come with you. You're the kind of person I want to be. Next time we meet, you're gonna like the kind of person I've become. Goodbye." She said as she started to go down the escalator, but she couldn't leave, not without telling Ash how she felt about him. She turned around and said, "Hey Ash, there's just one more thing." She ran up the escalator and kissed him. "I love you," she whispered into his ear. As she started going back down the escalator she saw that Clement, Bonnie, Dedenne, and Pikachu all shocked.

Ash was just standing there in awe, then he smiled and waved to her."Goodbye Serena," he said. She waved in return. She started to walk to the plane that would take her to the next phase of her journey. Serena started thinking about her journey, getting Fenniken from Professor Sycamore, meeting Ash again at the Santalune Gym, the Pokémon Camp, deciding to be a performer, catching Pancham, her first performance, meeting Aria, befriending and catching Eevee, the Master Class, and now looking back on it all, she knew her journey was just beginning.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN:** Hello guys, sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. I had to do a ton of research on a certain character's Pokémon (who will be introduced this chapter) and how the Contests work because I've only up to episode eight of the Advanced Generation anime which was before they introduced Contests. Hopefully though, it shouldn't take me to long to get the rest of the chapters out, and hopefully I got everything right.

And for those of you reading when I release this Merry Christmas!

* * *

 _-Chapter 1: Let the Show Begin-_

 _Not much longer now_ , Serena thought to herself in the plane. In just a few moments Serena would be in Hoenn. Serena could barely contain her excitement. What were the Pokémon Contests like, what new friends would she make, and what new Pokémon would she catch? The moment the captain announced that the passengers could exit the plane; she got off as quickly as she could. She was here, Petalburg City, where the next phase of her journey would begin.

Moments later, Serena was inside the Pokémon Center getting a map of the Hoenn region, when Nurse Joy called, "Serena, there is someone wishing to speak with you over the phone. He says his name is Ash."

"Thank you Nurse Joy," she responded, walking toward the phone booths.

"Um, hi Serena," Ash's familiar voice greeted through the phone, scratching the back of his head.

"Hi Ash," she responded.

"Pika Pika!" his partner exclaimed.

"Hi Pikachu," she said through a laugh, starring into Ash's eyes for a few award seconds before saying, "So you're back in Kanto already?"

"Yeah, I just got here a few minutes ago, and I'm assuming you're in Petalburg right now."

"Yes,"

"You're taking part in Pokémon Contests too right?"

She nodded.

"Then while you're there, you might want to go to the gym, I've got a friend may be able to help you."

"Pika," Pikachu said, sounding disappointed for whatever reason.

"What Pikachu?" Ash seemed just as confused as Serena was, then he started laughing.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing, I just made a joke without realizing it. You'll understand once you meet my friend."

"Okay," she was still confused, but decided to ask, "Um, Ash, about what I said at the airport…" she trailed off.

"I- well I don't know what to say," he said, "It's all I've thought about since you left. I've never felt this way about anyone before, and I don't know what these feelings are, but I think that I'm ready to find out. And I want to do that with you. It's all I thought about on the way home. I don't want to interrupt your journey though, so I can wait and will be cheering you on all the way. And, well I guess what I'm trying to say is, I love you too, Serena."

"Th-thank you Ash, you have no idea what that means to me." He really didn't, Serena wasn't sure _she_ knew what that meant to her. Suddenly she heard an explosion from his side of the screen and thought she heard some _very_ familiar voices reciting their motto.

"I better go see what that is," Ash said, leaving, "Bye Serena, talk to you later." He hung up, leaving the screen blank.

"Hey, Nurse Joy," she asked, "do you happen to know where the next Contest will be?"

"There actually going to be one here tonight, were you thinking about entering?"

"No, I'm just going to watch, I'm a Performer from the Kalos region and I want to see what a Contest is like."

"Oh, well I think you'll find they aren't very different than Performances."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Serena said, leaving the Pokémon Center. She decided that she would head to the gym after seeing the Contest. When it was finally time for it to begin, Serena brought out her Pokémon and told them, "All right guys, it's time to see what these Contests are all about, and let's look for some routine ideas too while we're at it," she raised her arm to the middle of their huddle, "On three. One, two, three!"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer began, "It's time. The moment you've all been waiting for, the Petalburg City Pokémon Contest!" the crowd erupted into cheers, "Now," the announcer continued, "I am pleased to present our judges. First up, the director of the Contest committee, Contesta! Second, Sukizo, the from the Pokémon enthusiasts club! And finally, our very own Nurse Joy! As you all know, the winner of this Contest will win the Petalburg Ribbon!" The board above her head showed a red ribbon with pink outlines.

The crowd cheered even louder, _Ribbons?_ Serena pondered _I guess those are like the Princess Keys_

"To win this ribbon though are contestants must make their way through the preliminary round, where they are judged for performance quality on the acts they've worked so hard on."

 _That sounds a lot like the Freestyle Performance._

"And now, let us begin; please give a warm welcome to, May!"

If Serena thought the crowds were loud before, they were deafening now. Serena had only heard this kind of cheering when Aria was performing. On the stage was a girl with brown who looked the same age as she was, if not a little younger. Serena saw that the girl had a radiant smile; much like the one Aria wore on stage.

"Blaziken, take the stage!" The brunette called out. "Spin, with Blaze Kick!" she commanded before the Pokémon was even out of its Pokéball. Suddenly a flaming whirlwind erupted, when it died down it revealed the familiar form a Blaziken, who did a flip before landing. "Now, jump, spin, and use Sky Uppercut and Fire Spin together." The Fire-type did as asked, leaving a flaming tornado underneath it, the flames then expanded outwards. "Now, finish it with Overheat!" a flaming explosion erupted from the Pokémon's body, when it collided with the fire tornado, it burst apart, sending tiny sparks all over the stadium. Both trainer and Pokémon bowed now that they had finished their performance. The crowd was ecstatic at the performance, and Serena couldn't blame them, she herself was in awe.

"What a spectacular performance by May!" the announcer's voice snapped Serena out of her trance, "Now let's see what the judges have to say." Serena watched as the judges posted their scores on the board. The scores added up to 29.6 out of 30. The pair gave one last bow before walking off the stage. "And there you have it folks! Now let's move on to our next performance…" Serena was hardly listening though; she kept replaying the performance in her head. How had that girl May done it, the way she had captivated the audience in just a single move, it was incredible. It was the same thing that Aria had done in the Master Class. How was Serena supposed to compete with that level of skill? She kept thinking, half watching the other performances, none of them quite as good as the first, but still good. Before Serena knew it, the preliminary round was over. May had moved on (to no one's surprise) along with three others.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, let the Contest Battles begin!"

 _Contest Battles? What are those?_ But the announcer gave no explanation.

"The first battle will be May versus John!" The girl from before walked on to the stage along with a strange boy. Serena was surprised that boys could enter Contests. That was unlike the Performances in Kalos where only girls could enter. Or at least Serena thought only girls could enter; the title wouldn't be the Kalos _Queen_ if otherwise, right?

"Blaziken!" the girl called, "On stage!" the boy summoned a strange looking Pokémon that looked like a ninja mixed with a tree. Serena pulled out her Pokédex to see what it was.

 _Shiftry: the Wicked Pokémon, a Grass and Dark type, and the final evolution of Seedot. Shiftry is a mysterious Pokémon that is said to live atop towering trees dating back over a thousand years. It creates terrific windstorms with the fans it holds._

Shiftry a Grass and Dark type, against Blaziken a Fire and Fighting type. Serena wondered why the boy would go for such a terrible matchup when he knew that May had a Blaziken.

"Let's start this with Razor Leaf, Shiftry!" John commanded. The Grass type did as told sending a torrent a glowing green leaves towards its opponent.

"Counter it with Fire Spin!" the girl yelled. A vortex of swirling flames erupted from the Fire type's mouth, incinerating the leaves and proceeding on to Shiftry. Serena flinched when the super-effective attack hit its mark, and noticed that there were bars on the screen above below the two combatants' pictures. The one underneath the John's went down for some reason.

"Spin and use Blaze Kick!" May shouted, with the same smile she had worn her entire time on stage. The Blaze Pokémon followed its orders, creating that same flaming tornado that it had used as its entrance in the preliminary round.

"Quick, use Feint Attack!" her opponent commanded, looking worried. The Dark type clashed, but was overpowered by the oncoming Fire type. John's bar dropped even further after that attack.

"Now, let's finish this, Sky Uppercut!" the brunette yelled. Her Blaziken rushed in fist glowing, and launched the Wicked Pokémon several yards into the air with a single blow. The boy's meter was empty now.

"And that's that, the battle goes to May!" the announcer called out. Both trainers returned the Pokémon to their Pokéball before waving and leaving the stage as the crowd cheered once again. Just like in the preliminary round, May had the complete attention of the audience. Still thinking on the two near perfect performances, Serena didn't notice the rest of the battles.

"And there you have I folks!" the announcer snapped back into focus, "The winner of this year's Petalburg Contest is, May!" the announcer handed the red ribbon that was shown at the beginning to May.

With the Contest over, Serena decided that she would finally head to the Gym. Unlike many of the other Gyms she had seen with Ash, this one was very simple. In the middle of the battlefield was a boy who looked about ten, he had black hair, a green shirt, and khakis on.

"Ah, are you a challenger?" he asked, "I'm the Gym Leader, my name is Max."

"Really, you're the Gym Leader?" she asked incredulously.

"Yup." He replied, then got excited and said, "Wait a second, it's you, you're that girl from the Master Class."

"You watched that?"

"Yeah, you're the girl who lost to Aria in the finals."

"Oh," she sighed, was that really what people remembered her as?

"Um, what's your name? Hold on, I'll think of it. Oh that's right, you're Sarah."

"It's Serena." She corrected, a little offended. "And remember, I did make it to the finals, not everyone can do that."

"I know, both yours and Aria's performances were great, but I guess that you and your team didn't make the cut, huh." This kid was really starting to get on her nerve now. "But that's not what you're here for though is it, you're here for a Gym Battle right."

"Well, no I-"

"Come on, I insist."

"No, no, that's not what I'm here for."

"Then why are you here? You must want a battle."

"Oh, leave her alone, Max." a voice called out. Serena looked over and saw the girl from the Contest.

"You, you're the girl who won the Contest," Serena said in shock.

"You watched?" the girl asked.

"Yeah, you were amazing. I'm Serena."

"Hi, I'm May, but you probably already knew that. I'm assuming you're not here for a Gym Battle."

"No, I'm not. I'm traveling around the Hoenn region to partake in Contests, and a friend said I might find some help here. His name is Ash."

"You know Ash? Why am I not surprised?" Serena was confused, which must have been obvious because May continued, "We used to travel with Ash, when he traveled through Hoenn." Serena now understood what joke Ash had made in the phone call, it was _not_ funny.

"He does have a lot of friends doesn't he? Anyways yeah, I traveled with Ash through the Kalos region. I came here to take place in Pokémon Contests; Ash said you might be able to help me."

"Oh, sure. It would be nice to travel with someone other than Max. We're heading off to Littleroot Town for him to get his starter Pokémon."

"Wait, he told me that he was the Gym Leader."

"Well," the boy cut in, "technically it's true. I'm going to be the Gym Leader once my father retires."

"That's only if you become a good enough trainer," his sister teased.

"I'm gonna be a great trainer and you know it," he snapped back, "In fact, you may have to be the one running the Gym once I become Champion of the Hoenn Region."

"Well then you better stop arguing and get ready to go. The sooner you're ready, the sooner we can get to Littleroot Town and you can have your chance to prove me wrong." Max then ran off to pack the rest of his stuff in a backpack. "Do you want me to explain the rules to Contests while we wait?"

"Sure, thank you, May," Serena responded. It seemed like she had already found some friends to travel with, adventure appeared to be right around the corner.


	3. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thank you guys for your support. You have no idea what that means to me. If you could though, please send me a review instead of a PM. I know this chapter came out a lot faster than the last one, but I told you that was mainly because I had to research a ton.

Here are the reviews I've received so far.

From Oragonking: If Serena is going to catch New Pokémon at Hoenn I choose the Ice Type Froslass, and will May have Altaria (the evolved form of Swablu that she met)?

Reply: Serena is going to catch more than one Pokémon in Hoenn, but I'm not telling you who yet. As for May, I haven't decided what to do with her team evolution wise (which is the main reason I had her use Blaziken last chapter), but for Swablu, if I do give it to her, she will most likely catch it in the wild sometime in this story.

Next from Alexandria Prime: Max pulled the same thing that he did with Ash.

Reply: Yeah, that was kinda the point. I liked that moment in the anime and decided I'd do the same sort of thing here.

Thank you again for your support.

* * *

 _-Chapter 2: New Friends, New Adventures-_

Next to a small lake near Oldale Town, May was teaching Serena the basics of Pokémon Contests.

"So in the Battle Rounds," Serena repeated what she had been told, "your meter drops if your Pokémon gets hit or the opposing team blocks an attack."

"That's right," May confirmed, "You're getting the hang of this. Want to try a mock battle?"

"That would be great, thanks," Serena responded. They decided that Max would be the judge since no one else was around. "All right Pancham, come on out!"

"Ok, Beautifly, take the stage!"

"Who's that Pokémon?" Serena asked herself, pulling out her Pokédex.

 _Beautifly: the Butterfly Pokémon, one of the final evolutions of Wurmple, a Bug and Flying Type._ _Its colorfully patterned wings are its most prominent feature. It flies through flower-covered fields collecting pollen. It attacks ferociously when angered._

"All right," Max began, "this is a Contest Battle between May and Serena. The battle will end when I decide one of you has outdone the other. With that said, battle begin!"

"Mind if I take the first move?" May asked, "Beautifly, Silver Wind!" The Butterfly Pokémon flapped its wings rapidly, causing a silver vortex of wind to form.

"Pancham, counter with Dark Pulse!" Serena commanded. The dark energy collided with the wind with an explosion. "Now, Arm Thrust!" Pancham leaped forward, his hands glowing white.

"Ariel Ace!" The Flying Type's wings glowed the same color as the Pokémon dived in. The two Pokémon clashed again, but Pancham was quickly overpowered by the super-effective move.

"Pancham!" Serena cried out.

"Now use Silver Wind and Psychic together!" May commanded. The attack was just like the first, but much larger and faster as it was powered up by Psychic. It hit the Playful Pokémon directly. Serena cried out for her Pokémon again. When the dust cleared, Pancham was still standing, but barely.

"That's it," Max called, "the battle is over, May wins!"

"Thank you Pancham," Serena consoled her defeated Pokémon, "You did great, now have a good rest."

"Thanks for your help, Beautifly," May recalled her Pokémon as well.

"I guess I still have a long ways to go, huh?" Serena said, a little ashamed of her poor performance.

"You did fine," May assured her, "that was your first time doing a Contest Battle. And I've been doing this for a couple years now."

"I guess you're right. I mean you did win the Contest in Petalburg just as easily, so that means on average already."

"That's the spirit." suddenly May's stomach growled, leaving her extremely embarrassed. "I guess that battle made me hungry."

"I swear you have an appetite that rivals Ash's, and that's saying something."

"What's that supposed to mean," May looked slightly annoyed. In the short amount of time that Serena had known May, she had seen her eat mountains of food in a single meal. After they and their Pokémon ate their respective foods, Serena was going to give the Pokémon some Poképuffs, but when she turned to grab them, they were gone. "That's strange," she mused to herself, "May, did you eat the Poképuffs I had here?"

"Hey, why are you blaming me?"

"Because you eat as much as Ash does, and he did eat Poképuffs," Serena replied.

"Well that doesn't mean it was me." Just then, Serena heard a rustling in some nearby bushes.

"Did you hear that?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, I did, let's go check it out." Over in the bushes where the rustling was they saw a strange looking Pokémon with the Poképuffs, or what was left of them anyways.

 _Mudkip: the Mud Fish Pokémon, a Water Type, The fin on Mudkip's head acts as highly sensitive radar. Using this fin to sense movements of water and air, this Pokémon can determine what is taking place around it without using its eyes._

"Oh wow, a Mudkip," May sounded surprised, "those are really rare. They're one of three Pokémon new trainers can get at the start of their journey in Hoenn." The Water Type heard them and quickly ran off. "That's too bad, it would have made a nice addition to your team."

"You don't want to catch it?"

She laughed, "No thanks, I've had quite a few issues with Mudkip before." Whatever story she had, she didn't elaborate.

"Well anyways," Serena said picking up one of the remaining Poképuffs, "let's pick these up and head back." Once they got back they quickly packed up the remaining food (Serena was surprised there was any).

"Hey Serena," May called, "You want to get a little more practice in before we go?"

"Sure, I don't see why not." She replied. Instead of a battle this time, May was giving Serena some ideas on what to do in certain situations, but Serena was feeling rather discouraged still.

It must have shown because soon May asked, "Serena are you okay? You seem spaced out."

"Yeah it's just… I feel like I'm a million miles behind you. I mean, between you and Aria it feels like no matter how good I get, it just isn't enough."

"Don't talk like that," the brunette scolded, "If you keep talking like that, your Pokémon are gonna feel inadequate, and it means you half-way to giving up. You made it to the finals of the Master Class your first year as a performer. I only made the top 8 on my first Grand Festival, and if that's anything to go by, it means you're better than I was then."

"You're right, thanks May. I can't give up just because I lost a few time!"

"That's what I'm talking about!"

"Let's have another battle May, and this time, I'm going to win!"

"You're on!"

"All right!" called Max when they convinced him to be the ref again, "this is a rematch between May and Serena, the same rules apply from the previous battle!"

"Let's do this together, Pancham!" Serena called her faithful Pokémon.

"Beautifly, on stage!" May summoned. Pancham looked like he wanted payback from last time. "Use Silver Wind!" May made the first move.

"Counter with Dark Pulse!" Serena commanded. The same to moves made at the beginning of the previous battle clashed. "Now Arm Thrust!" Pancham leapt forwards like always, but instead of his hands glowing, is entire arm glowed white.

"Don't let up, Ariel Ace!" The two Pokémon clashed like last time, only Pancham help his ground.

"That was Hammer Arm!" Max confirmed.

"Way to go, Pancham, you learned a new move." Serena congratulated.

"You still got to beat me though," May taunted, "Silver Wind and Psychic together!"

"Not this time! Block it with Stone Edge!" Pancham did as ordered, making a wall of stones in front of him before the attack could hit him. "Now jump and use Hammer Arm!" Pancham leaped forward, arm glowing again, and slammed into Beautifly, sending it crashing into the ground. "Now let's finish this with Stone Edge!" the familiar stone pillars rose, slamming into Beautifly, sending into the air.

"Morning Sun!" May called, a glow started emanating from Beautifly's body, healing all its injuries. Serena was amazed by how beautiful the move was. "Now use Silver Wind!" Serena was unable to give a command before the attack hit Pancham.

"That's it," Max called, "May wins!"

"Oh well, Pancham, we did our best," Serena said consoling her Pokemon. A Pokemon then emerged from the water.

"It's that Mudkip from before," Serena recognized it.

"Mud Mudkip!"

"I think it wants to battle you," May said.

"Really, is that what you want Mudkip?"

"Mud," the Mud Fish Pokémon nodded in agreement.

"All right then," she turned to her Pokémon, "Pancham, ready for another battle?"

"Pancham Pan," the Playful Pokémon confirmed, looking to redeem itself.

"Then use Dark Pulse!" Serena ordered.

Mudkip countered with a Water Gun, then it used Mud Slap.

"Dodge, then use Hammer Arm!" Pancham leapt to the side then rushed forward.

Mudkip used Take Down and meant with Pancham halfway. It then used Mud Slap again, making contact with Pancham this time. Next it hit Pancham with Water Gun up close, pushing the Playful Pokémon back. It used Rock Throw next now that it was at a distance.

"Use Arm Thrust to block it!" Pancham crushed the oncoming rocks with hands.

The Water Type charged Take Down since ranged attacks didn't work.

"Dark Pulse then Hammer Arm!" Pancham did as commanded, sending the dark energy at the charging Mudkip, slowing it down just enough for Hammer Arm to send it flying. "Now, finish it with Stone Edge!" her faithful Pokémon slammed his fist into the ground, summoning several stone pillars which hit the Mud Fish Pokémon.

She grabbed an empty Pokéball from her belt, and threw it yelling, "Go Pokéball!" The capture device absorbed Mudkip, then it shook once, twice, a third time then dinged, signifying a successful catch.

"All right! I caught a Mudkip!" Pancham celebrated with her.

"Okay Mudkip, come on out," she summoned her new partner.

"Mudkip Mud," it responded.

"Braixen, Sylveon, come meet our new a friend," Serena brought out her other two Pokémon who greeted Mudkip. Mudkip greeted them back then started sniffing the air following the smell to the basket that held the remaining Poképuffs. The Water Type started eating the pastries inside until Serena pulled him out of there saying, "Mudkip, you can't go digging around in stuff that's not yours. If you want a Poképuffs, you need to ask."

"Mudkip," the Pokémon said, rubbing the back of its head.

"Come on," Max called out, "I'm gonna keep going to Littleroot Town, if you're coming I suggest you get moving." May, Serena, and her Pokémon all ran to catch up with Max. Serena thought back on what May told her by the lake, and her confidence was bolstered, but she still wondered if she was good enough to be on the level that May and Aria were.

* * *

 **AN:** All right, another chapter done. So a lot of things happened, Pancham learned Hammer Arm, I gave him this because Pancham has only been shown to have three moves in the anime and he needed a better Fighting Type move than Arm Thrust, Serena caught a Mudkip, I decided to have her first catch in Hoenn be Mudkip because of two reasons: one it was the starter I picked during my playthrough of Pokémon Sapphire, and two I wanted Serena to have one of the Hoenn starters and I just can't see her using Torchic or Treecko, but the most important thing that happened is that Serena is starting to doubt her abilities as a Performer after a crushing loss against May. What will this do for her dream? Also side note, this will be the last chapter I post till after New Years

 **Team Changes:** So whenever a Pokémon learns a new move, evolves, or one of the trainers catches a new Pokémon, I will put that change in this section.

Pancham (Serena's) New Move: Hammer Arm

Serena New Pokémon: Mudkip: Moves: Water Gun, Mud Slap, Rock Throw, Take Down.


	4. Chapter 3

**AN:** Hello fellow readers I am back. Hope you guys all had a great New Years.

Here are the reviews

From a guest: :Please continue I like it

Reply: Thanks for the compliment, but I am back now and ready to keep writing.

I honestly don't have much to say other than I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

 _-Chapter 3: Facing Old Foes with New Allies-_

"All right!" Max called, "This is a contest battle between Serena and May! Would both of you please choose your Pokémon?!" Serena had asked May for a little for practice in Contest Battles while they were in Oldale Town.

"Come on out, Sylveon!" she summoned her faithful Pokémon.

"Take the stage, Glaceon!" her opponent commanded. Serena pulled out her Pokédex to see what this new Pokémon was.

 _Glaceon: the Fresh Snow Pokémon, an evolved form of Eevee, an Ice Type. Glaceon protects itself by freezing its fur into sharp needles. It can drop its body temperature below -75 degrees Fahrenheit._

"Let's kick this off with Shadow Ball!" May commanded.

"Blow it back with Fairy Wind!" the honey-blonde countered. The dark sphere of energy stated to fly back towards the Ice Type.

"Use Mirror Coat!" May called. Glaceon's (fur?) glowed as the Shadow Ball hit and was reflected off of its body.

"Protect!" Serena ordered. The dark sphere collided with the familiar green shield of Protect. Smoke covered the battlefield, including the two Pokémon, preventing anyone from seeing. "Clear the smoke with Fairy Wind!" But instead of the covered Fairy Type clearing the smoke, it cried out in fear. When the smoke finally did clear, it revealed three _very_ familiar faces holding both of their Pokémon.

"Prepare for trouble, two twerpettes are enough!"

"And make it double, we're off in a huff!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare for a spectacular fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbufet!"

"Team Rocket!" May, Max, and Serena cried in unison.

"We came to the Hoenn region to pick up some old partners of ours," Jessie explained.

"But when we saw you two, we figured we'd nab your Pokémon while we're here," James continued, putting the captured Pokémon into a cage.

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" May exclaimed, "Blaziken, on stage!" the Blaze Pokémon appeared from its Pokéball, ready to battle.

"Come on out, Braixen!" Serena called.

"Show 'em what you've got Gourgeist!"

"Okay Inkay, you too!"

"New Pokémon huh?" May questioned, "It doesn't matter, we're getting our Pokémon back! Blaziken use Blaze Kick!"

"Inkay, use Foul Play!" the Dark Type grabbed the oncoming Fire Type and used its momentum to flip it over.

"Now Gourgeist, use Dark Pulse!"

"Counter with Flamethrower!" The spout of flames rushed from the tip of Braixen's wand and collided with the beam of dark energy. "Now, Fire Blast on Inkay!" the five-pronged blast of fire slammed into the Psychic Type, sending it crashing into Gourgeist.

"Thanks Serena. Now use Overheat!" A heatwave emanated from Blaziken's body sending the opposing Pokémon into their respective Trainers.

"Let's finish this, Flamethrower!"

"Fire Spin!"

"Wait!" James cried out before the attacks could be launched, "Don't blast us off just yet. We're looking for some Pokémon of ours. We released them here to protect some wild Pokémon from a Pokémon Hunter."

"That doesn't sound like something you would do." Max responded incredulously.

"We couldn't let someone else go around stealing Pokémon!" Jessie proclaimed, "That's our job!"

"That sounds more like it," Max smirked.

"Yes, anyways," James continued, "We heard that the hunter was taken down a couple years ago, but we've been so busy chasing the twerp, we never had any time to come back for them."

"Fine then," May said, "Just give us back our Pokémon."

"Here then," James said in defeat, letting the Eevolutions out of the cage, who rushed back to their Trainers. "Let's go guys."

The trio began to walk away until Serena stopped them saying, "Hold on, I'll help you find them."

"Serena?" May questioned, not believing what she was hearing.

"As much as I don't like it, I will help you find your Pokémon. I know what it's like, being separated; the only thing I could think of was finding them. So I will help you, but just this once."

"Th-thank you," Jessie stuttered.

"I guess we'll go along with you as well," May added, "We can't have you trying anything." And with that, they set off. According to Team Rocket their Pokémon were somewhere in the forests to the Northwest of Oldale Town. After a few hours of searching with no luck, the group decided to rest a little while before continuing the search.

"Oh, it's hopeless," Jessie cried out, "I'll never find Arbok."

"Don't say that," Serena scolded, "You will find them. What does Ash always say, 'never give up till the end' right? Well you better not give up either."

"You're right!" James said, both of the human members of Team Rocket standing up, "Let's go Jess!" The trio ran off into the forest in no particular direction.

"Hey wait!" Serena called, but it was too late. Team Rocket had left them and probably got lost. They tried to follow them, but to no avail.

That's when May had the idea, "Beautifly, come on out. Fly up into the sky and see if you can see where Team Rocket went. It didn't take long for the Flying Type to come back to lead them. They reached an opening in the woods, just for an electrified net to be launched at Beautifly

"Prepare for trouble, we're back at it again!"

"And make it double, we'll score ten for ten!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare for a reunited fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Arbok!"

"Wheezing!"

"Inkay!"

"Gourgeist!"

"Wobbufet!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Max deadpanned.

"Let's not waste time. On stage, Snorlax and Blastoise!"

"Mudkip, Pancham, come on out!"

"Arbok, use Poison Sting, and Gourgeist, use Seed Bomb!"

"Wheezing, use Sludge, and Inkay, use Psybeam!"

Arbok and Gourgeist shot tiny purple needles and large brown seeds respectively, while Inkay sent a multicolored beam from its forehead as Wheezing shot a wave of black sludge from its mouth.

"Mudkip, use Mud Slap, and Pancham, use Dark Pulse!"

"Snorlax, use Hyper Beam! Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!"

Mudkip sent a sheet of mud to counter Wheezing's Sludge. Pancham's Dark Pulse collided with Inkay's attack, while Snorlax's and Blastoise's attacks pushed back against Poison Sting and Seed Bomb to hint their opponents. Which sent them into a heap.

"Pancham, Hammer Arm! Mudkip, Take Down!" Mudkip rushed into Wheezing as Pancham slammed his glowing fist into Inkay, sending them into their partners. "Now, Dark Pulse and Water Gun!"

"Add in Hyper Beam and Hydro Pump!"

The four attacks combined into one and slammed into all the members of Team Rocket.

"It feels good to do this with our first Pokémon again," Jessie said.

"I agree with you completely Jess," James agreed.

"I ain't got any idea why yer so happy," Meowth added, "cause,"

"We're blasting off again!"

"Arbok!"

"Wheezing!"

"Inkay!"

"Gourgeist!"

"Wobbufet!"

Seeing Team Rocket blast off to land who knows where had May saying, "It's been awhile since I've had to do that."

"Probably because they've been after Pikachu alone all these years," Serena smirked, "It still felt good to help them though, even if they've been giving Ash problems for so long." May and Max gave her a strange look, "Well he is the one they've been following." They eased up, but still were suspicious.

"Come on," Max said, "We've had enough distractions. I'm not stopping until we get to Professor Birch's Lab." He started running back to Oldale Town with the girls following just behind him.

* * *

 **AN:** Ah, it felt good to write that. This has been my favorite one of my favorite chapters to write, though it was quite a bit shorter than some of the others. Anyways yeah, Arbok and Wheezing have rejoined Team Rocket (not that it helped them beat Serena and May).

 **Team Changes:**

Munchlax (May's) Evolves: Snorlax, Moves: Metronome, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam, Body Slam

Wartortle (May's) Evolves: Blastoise, Moves: Hydro Pump, Rapid Spin, Aqua Tail, and Ice Beam

Thank you guys for reading and I hope you have enjoyed this so far. Please review if you have a suggestion, or to just point out a mistake I made so I can fix it as quickly as I can.


	5. Chapter 4

**AN:** Hello my fellow FanFictioners. I don't have much to say so I'll reply to the reviews and get this chapter started.

From a Guest: Could she have a Delcatty please?

Reply: Are you talking about May, or Serena, because May already has a Skitty, and I don't want to be to repetitive with the teams. And if you're talking about May, possibly.

Now, onto the story.

* * *

 _-Chapter 4: Enter, Team Ventus-_

Max wasn't kidding. They had been running for almost 6 hours straight now. Serena was glad Clemont wasn't with them, because there was no way they'd be able to keep up. But they were starting to slow down too; they needed to rest soon.

"Max, stop!" May called, but the young boy didn't hear them and kept on running. "Blaziken, help us out, I need you to follow Max, he's heading to Littleroot Town, we'll meet you there." The Blaze Pokémon did as ordered and ran off to follow the soon to be trainer.

"And I thought Bonnie was energetic," Serena panted.

"He's not usually like this," May commented, "I guess he's just excited to finally become a trainer. And, who's Bonnie?"

"Oh, Bonnie traveled with me and Ash, along with her older brother Clemont."

"Where are they now?"

"They stayed in Lumiose City. Clemont's the Gym Leader there."

"I starting to wonder how many of Ash's friends are Gym Leaders."

"How many regions has Ash traveled? He didn't get to tell us much about of his previous journeys because it seemed like there almost always something going on. He only got as far as just before the Johto League before we parted ways."

"Well, I'll tell you what I know. Ash made it to the quarterfinals of the Johto League. Soon afterwards he came to here to the Hoenn Region," she continued on to recount some of the things Ash did while in the Hoenn Region. Serena was really interested in some of the things he had done. May had just finished up retelling the events of the Hoenn League, when a scientist came running into them.

"Help, you must help me! They're- they're after me!" he panted.

"Wait, who's after you?"

"That would be us," a voice said. Serena half expected to see Team Rocket, but instead saw two people, one man the other a woman, in white jumpsuits with green outlines. Their faces were covered by masks that matched the color scheme of their suits. "Now back off, before things get dirty."

"Don't listen to them," the scientist pleaded, "they're trying to steal valuable equipment."

"Who are you guys anyways?" Serena questioned.

"We're Team Ventus," the woman answered, "Now step aside, I won't say it again."

"I won't just stand aside while you steal from innocent people," Serena said, "Braixen, come on out!"

"You too, Snorlax!" May called.

"Fine then, come, Electrike!"

"Time to battle, Tailow! Use Peck!"

"Electrike, use Spark!"

"Braixen, keep them back with Hidden Power!"

"Snorlax use Metronome!"

Electrike ran straight into the Hidden Power and started struggling against it while Tailow kept charging towards Snorlax. Snorlax's body started to spark with the familiar aura of Thunderbolt, but instead of going at the Flying Type, the Electric attack streamed into the still struggling Electrike.

"Oh no!" May cried, "Electrike's ability must be Lightning Rod!" Serena recognized that as the ability which increased a Pokémon's power whenever an Electric move was used. That meant…

The Electric Type broke through Hidden Power and ran into Braixen as Peck hit its mark.

"Snorlax, use Focus Punch!"

"Braixen, use Fire Blast!"

Snorlax's arm became sheathed in red as it punched the Flying Type. Braixen shot a five-pronged star of flames that engulfed Electrike. Both Pokémon were sent back landing right in front of their owners.

"Now, Braixen, Flamethrower!"

"Snorlax, use Hyper Beam!"

"Quick, cut through Hyper Beam with Peck!"

"Charge through that Flamethrower with Spark!"

The two opposing Pokémon did as commanded, but were overpowered quickly by the attacks, knocking them out.

"You may have stopped us today," the man said as they recalled their Pokémon, "but you are only slowing us down." The two ran off, leaving the girls alone with the scientist.

"Oh thank you," he cried for joy, "Thank you so much!"

"Just what were they after?" May asked. Serena had to admit that she was curious too.

"I'm afraid that I am not at liberty to tell," the scientist answered, "Thank you for your help, but I should get going. Goodbye."

That wasn't the answer Serena was looking for, but the scientist wasn't going to tell them anything.

"Come on, let's get going," May suggested, "I don't like the idea of Max being by himself, even with Blaziken, there might be more members of Team Ventus around."

"You're right," she agreed, "let's go."

They had no reason to worry. By the time they made it to Littleroot Town, Max had already chosen his starter. He was a little annoyed that it took them so long to get there.

"Treecko, I choose you!" he called, and the Wood Gecko Pokémon appeared at his side. Serena noticed that Max had used Ash's battle cry. Had Ash really inspired the kid that much? It seemed like he inspired everyone he met. Serena wondered if she could ever be like that. Just then, a boy came running their way. He had deep red hair and was wearing a matching shirt underneath a brown jacket and black pants.

"I'm looking for Professor Birch," he said, "Do you know where he is?"

"He's in his lab," Max answered, "Why are you looking for him?"

"I come to give him some research from Professor Juniper. I'm one of her assistants," he stated.

Professor Birch came outside as they were speaking. "Ah, you must be William," he said upon seeing the boy, "Professor Juniper told me you were coming. Do you have it?"

"Yes, it's right here," William responded pulling out a small spherical object that Serena recognized instantly.

"A-A Mega Stone?" she stuttered.

"A what?" May and Max asked unanimously.

"A Mega Stone," Serena repeated, "it can be used to evolve a Pokémon that was believed to be unable to be evolved any further, along with a key stone and a strong bond between Pokémon and trainer. And unlike regular evolution, a Mega Evolved Pokémon will revert back to its original form after the battle is over." They all looked at her, stunned.

"You certainly seem to know a lot about the subject," Professor Birch stated.

"I'm from the Kalos region, and I know Professor Sycamore," she explained.

"Ah," the Professor said, "That explains it. Normally Professor Sycamore would be the one to study this, but he is currently busy and the Champion Steven asked me to do some research on this. Come now, let's see what kind of Mega Stone we have here." The inside of the lab was much simpler than Serena thought it was going to be. It was a very open space with only a few computers here and there, but in the back was a machine that Serena recognized as the Mega Stone Identifier, if she didn't know any better, she'd have said Clemont named it. Professor Birch placed the Mega Stone in the machine along with a Keystone and ran the test. Pictures of multiple different Pokémon flashed across the screen until it finally stopped on one, one that Serena had never seen before. It was a deep blue color and had a shell of some kind over its head like a helmet

 _Samurott: the Formidable Pokémon, a Water Type, and the final evolved form of Oshawott: One swing of the sword incorporated in its armor can fell an opponent. Its cry alone is enough to intimidate most enemies._

"Wait," William said, pulling out a Pokéball, "then that means…" a small Pokémon appeared from out of the Pokéball, it had a light blue complexion and a small shell on its stomach.

 _Oshawott: the Sea Otter Pokémon, a Water Type: Oshawott attacks and defends using the scalchop that can be removed from its stomach._

"Yes," Professor Birch replied, "it seems like you have a Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution. I have another favor to ask of you while you're here. Would you please have a battle with Max here? I would like to see your Pokémon in action for research purposes, and it would be good training for him. He's just starting his journey."

"Truth be told, I'm actually a beginning trainer myself," William admitted, "but I'd be glad to have a battle with him." It wasn't long before they were on the battlefield Max and William on opposite sides.

"Treecko, I choose you!" Max called.

"Let's do this, Oshawott!" William summoned.

"This is a one-on-one battle between Max and William," Professor Birch's aide who was acting as the referee announced, "The battle will be over when one side's Pokémon is unable to continue. Battle begin!"

"Treecko, use Quick Attack!" Max started. His new Pokémon rushed forward surrounded in a white light.

"Oshawott, counter that with Razor Shell!" The Sea Otter Pokémon took the shell off its chest. The shell then glowed blue as a blade extended from it. The Water Type swung the sword-like shell as Treecko came forward. The Wood Gecko Pokémon was flung backwards before righting himself midair and landing,

"Bullet Seed!" Max commanded. The Grass Type shot a torrent of small seeds from its mouth, heading straight for his opponent.

"Block it with your scalchop!" Oshawott grabbed its shell again, only this time it raised it in front of it. Serena was amazed as the seeds started bouncing harmlessly off the shell. "Now attack with Razor Shell!" The blue blade formed again as the Water Type launched forward, slashing Treecko.

"Treecko, use Pound!" the Wood Gecko Pokémon's fist slammed into its opponent, causing it to stumble backwards, "Now use Bullet Seed!" The stream of seeds was launched again before Oshawott could raise his shell to block again.

"Let's finish this! Oshawott use Razor Shell!"

"Treecko, use Quick Attack!"

The two Pokémon collided, stirring up dust that obscured the two Pokémon from view. When it finally cleared, both Pokémon were on the ground, unconscious.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!" the referee called, "It's a draw!" both trainers rushed forward to check on their fallen partners, who were starting to move. The two looked at each other, smiling and eyes glowing at the battle they just had.

"That was amazing!" Max proclaimed, "The way you used Oshawott's scalchop to block my attacks was incredible!"

"I actually saw that you could do that watching the Unova League last year," the Unova trainer responded, "The guy who did it only made it to the quarterfinals though."

"I assume you will be heading back to Unova now," the professor said.

"No, actually. Professor Juniper wanted me to get information on some of the Hoenn regions Pokémon, so I'm going to be competing in the Hoenn League this year."

"Then I guess that makes us rivals," Max challenged, "I'm competing in the League too."

"I'm sorry that I'll have to beat you there then," William returned.

"I'll look forward to seeing you two battle after today," the professor stated.

Soon after they got their Pokémon, they all headed their separate ways. William was staying with Professor Birch for a little while longer to get the rest of the research on the Mega Stone, it was decided that William would keep it. Serena and the others set off to Petalburg City. Where Max's first Gym Battle would be, his hometown.

* * *

 **AN:** Well a lot of stuff happened this chapter. We have the appearance of Team Ventus. Max is now a trainer, starting out with a Treecko. We also got to meet his main rival, William, who has an Oshawott that will eventually be able to Mega Evolve.

 **Team Changes:**

New members:

Treecko (Max's) Moves: Pound, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Bullet Seed.

Oshawott (William's) Moves: Tackle, Leer, Water Gun, Razor Shell.


	6. Chapter 5

**AN:** Hello my fellow FanFictioners and welcome back to this story. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter I had a bit of writer's block. For anyone who hasn't noticed, I have put a poll up in my profile about the first part of Pokémon Contests. So if you want me to keep writing the appeals then vote, if you don't also vote, if you don't really care, still vote. In my opinion, the second part of the Contest is the more important part, plus appeals are _not_ fun to write, but if you want me to keep writing them I will. Just a warning to you guys, there is a bit of violence in this chapter and that's main reason I moved the story from K+ to T. I hope you'll enjoy anyways.

Also, please review. I know that every author says that, but reading what people think of your work is one of my favorite things to do as an author (outside of writing the stories, of course), even if they're criticism. Knowing what you readers think gives me ideas on how to improve my stories, but this AN has gone for long enough.

Now, onto the story.

* * *

 _-Chapter 5: A Dancing Reunion-_

The journey back to Oldale Town had been mostly uneventful for Serena and the others. That was, until Max spotted something in the distance. It was a gray and black dog-like Pokémon, but it was limping and was in bad shape.

"Don't worry," Max called, pulling out a Potion, "I'll help you."

"Who's that Pokémon?" Serena asked herself, pulling out her Pokédex.

 _Poochyena: the Bite Pokémon, a Dark Type: It has a very tenacious nature. Its acute sense of smell lets it chase a chosen prey without ever losing track._

It wasn't long before Max had the Poochyena patched up. "All right," he told it, "you're all better." The Bite Pokémon yipped gratefully and started licking Max's face.

"Hey!" he laughed, "Stop it Poochyena!" Serena help back a laugh at the sight.

"I wonder what injured it in the first place," May brought up. She had a point, Pokémon didn't just get hurt without someone or something attacking them. As if on cue, four trainers came running their way.

"Hey, there it is!" one of them said. Poochyena cowered behind Max at the sight of them.

"Hey," one of them stepped forward and pointed at the Bite Pokémon, "that's my Pokémon you've got there." The boy had black hair that contrasted his very light skin color and he wore a yellow jacket and black pants.

"It is?" Max questioned, "We found it here and it was limping bad."

The trainer then rushed and picked up Poochyena, "Poochyena you're alright," the Dark Type certainly didn't look alright, it looked scared out of its mind.

"I was so worried about you." The Pokémon did not seem to appreciate the boy's affection and scratched him in the face.

"Ah!" the boy cried, dropping the Poochyena, "You little mutt! I oughta beat you for that!" the three of them gasped at the sudden outburst.

"Hey you can't just treat your Pokémon like that!" May reprimanded.

"Oh yeah," the boy challenged, "and who's going to stop me, you?"

"How dare you…" Max muttered. Serena could see tears forming in his eyes.

"What?" the trainer teased.

"How dare you!" Max shouted, "Pokémon are our friends, not just some toys you play with until something bigger and better comes along! If that's all you think Pokémon are then you don't deserve to be a trainer!"

For a few seconds there was only silence, then the boy clapped and started walking towards Max.

"Wow, you've impressed me," he said, then when he was right in front of Max he continued, "I've never met someone as naïve as you." Then he did something Serena never saw coming. He _punched_ Max, right in the gut. Max keeled over in pain from the sudden attack, but the boy didn't stop there, he started kicking Max mercilessly until May stopped him with a kick of her own.

"Leave my brother alone!" she yelled. She summoned Blaziken to her side, who looked ready for a fight.

"Come on out Pancham!" Serena called. She noticed that Treecko had appeared from its Pokéball ready to protect its trainer. Poochyena also stepped in front of Max, baring its fangs.

"Come on guys," the boy sneered, seeing that he wouldn't be able to win this fight, "let's get out of here."

After the four of them ran off, May quickly asked, "Max are you okay?" she was clearly worried for her younger brother after getting attacked like that.

"I-I'm fine," he struggled.

"We need to get you to a doctor," May started to grab her brother and lifted him up to lean on her shoulder.

"No, really," Max assured, "I'm fine." But May wouldn't stop, she had Blaziken carry Max, much to his dismay.

Serena was about to follow them, but she heard Poochyena whimpering behind her. She turned to see him looking longingly at Max.

"Do you want to come with us?" she asked. The Bite Pokémon perked up, which was enough of an answer for her. "Come on then. We can't let them leave us behind." The two took off after the pair of siblings.

* * *

As it turned out, Max was completely fine, he would be a bit sore for a while, but there was no permanent injury. Poochyena jumped on Max licking his face once again.

"Poochyena, stop!" he laughed.

"I think he wants to go with you," Serena suggested.

"Really," Max asked, "is that what you want." The Pokémon yipped affectionately as if to say 'Yes!'

"Alright then," Max said and pulled out a Pokéball, "Here we go!" he tapped the capture device on Poochyena head. It absorbed the Pokémon, then shook three times and dinged.

"Yeah!" Max exclaimed, "I just caught a Poochyena!" He reminded Serena of what Ash would do whenever he caught a Pokémon, and come to think of it, she did the same thing whenever she caught a Pokémon too. She wondered how many other people Ash had inspired that way, and if she could ever do the same.

"Hey Serena," May called, snapping Serena back to reality, "Come look at this." May was referring it a poster that was advertising a Pokémon Contest in Oldale Town that day.

"You should enter it," May suggested.

"Don't you want to enter it?" Serena asked.

"It's fine," May assured, "I only need one more ribbon and I know where I want to get it."

* * *

A few moments later they were in the Pokémon Center and Serena had registered for the Pokémon Contest. That was when she heard a voice she never expected to hear in Hoenn.

"My eyes must be deceiving me! Only one person is that beautiful!" She turned around and sure enough, Tierno was right there kneeling in front of her.

"T-Tierno?" she couldn't believe who she was seeing.

"That's me," he assured, "you're looking great, Serena, but then again you always do."

"Do you two know each other?" May asked, clearly confused.

"Oh right. This is Tierno," she introduced, "he was one of Ash's rivals during the Kalos League. Tierno, this is May and her younger brother Max, they traveled with Ash for a while."

"It's nice to meet you, Tierno," May greeted.

"Nice to meet you too," Tierno returned.

"So what are you doing here?" Serena asked.

"Well since I didn't do too well in the Kalos League," that's not what Serena remembered, he had made it to the quarterfinals on his first try, but he continued, "I decided I would try Coordinating since I'm a dancer."

"You're competing in the Pokémon Contests?" she asked, a little stunned.

"Yep," he confirmed, "and since you're here, I'm assuming you are too."

"Yeah," she told him.

"Well then I guess this makes us rivals," he said, catching Serena off-guard, "Just because you're beautiful doesn't mean I'll take it easy on you." Serena could hear May holding in a laugh at her expense.

"Well I'm sorry," Serena smirked, "but I'll be winning this Contest."

"We'll just see about that," Tierno challenged. Serena knew one thing for sure, her journey through the Hoenn Region just got a whole lot more interesting.

* * *

The time for the Contest to begin came sooner than Serena expected. Before long, she and Tierno were backstage along with the other competitors. That's when the announcer began to speak over the screen that was back there…

 _Ladies and gentlemen! It's time. The moment you've all been waiting for, the Oldale Town Pokémon Contest! Now, I am pleased to present our judges. First up, the director of the Contest committee, Contesta! Second, Sukizo, the from the Pokémon enthusiasts club! And finally, our very own Nurse Joy! As you all know, the winner of this Contest will win the Oldale Ribbon!_

May had filled Serena in on how the Contests worked. The Preliminary Round was much like the Freestyle Performances, the major difference was that you could only use one Pokémon and it was judged by official judges rather than the audience. They had had several Contest Battles with each other on their journey and May had explained that you had to use the same Pokémon in the Battle Round that you did in the Preliminaries. Serena had been practicing with her Pokémon to get appeals ready for their first contest. She wanted to use all her Pokémon in her first performance, but she could only use one. It was a hard decision, but Serena was finally able to pick who she would use.

 _And for our first performance_ the announcer continued _this young man has traveled all the way from the Kalos Region to compete in Pokémon Contest. Give a warm welcome to Tierno!_

"Looks like I'm up first," the dancer said, walking up to the stage. Serena heard some warm applause from the audience as he came onto the stage.

 _Let's dance, Raichu!_ he called from onstage.

 _Let's show 'em your moves, Raichu!_

Raichu began to dance onstage as Tierno clapped a beat for his Electric Type to follow. Everyone watching was awed by the unusual strategy.

 _Let's wrap this up! Focus Blast and Thunder!_

While still dancing, Raichu formed a ball of yellow energy in her hands as a dark cloud formed overhead. Just as the lighting began to come down form the cloud, Raichu threw the Focus Blast upward which meat the Thunder midair. Both attacks remained still for a few seconds before exploding into thousands of sparkles which rained down on the audience.

 _And Tierno gives us an interesting performance today._ The announcer, well, announced.

 _Let's see what the judges have to say._

Serena watched as the scores from the judges added up to a 27.9

 _Tierno receives a whopping 27.9, a great score, but will anyone else be able to beat it. Our second contestant also comes from the distant Kalos Region, give it up for… Serena!_

As Serena walked onstage she was greeted by the same warm applause that Tierno had been given. Everyone was staring at her to see if she would give just as interesting of a performance as Tierno's. Serena hadn't felt this nervous since her first Performance.

"Come on out, Mudkip," she summoned her new partner. She had decided that she compete in her first Contest in the Hoenn Region with the first Pokémon she had caught here.

"All right, Mudkip, Rock Throw, into the air."

Five rocks formed around the Mud Fish Pokémon's fin before being launched into the air.

"Now, keep those rocks in the air with Water Gun."

The Water Type shot short bursts of water from its mouth that kept the rocks above its head.

"Let's finish this, spin and use Mud Slap."

Mudkip spun and kicked up some mud as the rocks began to fall. The mud solidified into a crown-like shape and the rocks were where the gemstones would normally be.

"And, finished," Serena said, giving the audience a curtsy.

 _And Serena gives us an amazing performance, let's see how she scores._

Standing there waiting for her final score to be revealed was nerve-wracking, but a few moments later Serena let out a sigh of relief, she had scored a 28.2. Such a high score would almost guarantee that she made it to the Battle Round, but Tierno was likely to make it too. She curtsied again before walking offstage.

* * *

As Serena had expected, both she and Tierno had made it to the battle round. Those practice rounds she'd had with May had been worth it as she defeated her first opponent. Now she and Mudkip were waiting for the finals.

 _And with that, Tierno has moved on to the finals. Where he will face Serena. It seems both of our Kalosian visitors are taking the Contest stage by storm._

"Nice battle, Tierno," she congratulated the dancer.

"Why thank you," he returned, "I'll see you in the finals then."

 _Welcome everyone to the Oldale Town Contest Finals. Let's meet our contestants. First, a boy with incredible dancing skills hailing from the distant Kalos Region, Tierno! And second, a sweet girl with a passion for fashion who also comes from the Kalos region, Serena! These two have performed superbly so far, this is sure to be an exciting battle!_

Serena walked onto her side of the battle field as the crowd cheered. She saw Tierno standing on the opposite side, ready to battle.

 _Let the battle begin!_

"Let's dance, Raichu!" Tierno summoned.

"Come on out, Mudkip!" she called. Tierno and his Electric Type began to dance as usual, and Serena's meter began to drop.

"Let's start this with Charge Beam!" the boy commanded. The Electric Mouse Pokémon shot a concentrated blast of lightning at the Water Type.

"Counter that with Rock Throw!" the rocks formed and began spiraling around Mudkip's fin before he threw them at their opponent. One stopped the Electric attack from hitting him, while the others pelted the vulnerable Raichu. Tierno's meter dropped sharply, giving Serena the lead.

"Take Down, before they can recover!" Mudkip charged, surrounded in a white aura.

"Quick, use Focus Blast!" Tierno called. The yellow ball of energy formed in the Electric Type's hands, and was held out in front of it for the Water Type to run into. It managed to slow Mudkip down, but didn't stop him completely. Both Pokémon lost their balance and fell, quickly getting back up. Both meters dropped, but Serena still had the lead.

"Use Dig!" Tierno commanded. Raichu quickly dug a hole in the ground, before Serena could call for a move, but she knew what to do.

"Water Gun, into the hole!" the Water Type shot a stream of water from its mouth into the hole that the opposing Pokémon had gone into. Soon said Pokémon erupted from the ground, crying in pain as the attack pushed him upward. Tierno's meter dropped even lower, until there was nothing left.

 _And that's the match folks. After an incredible battle today, Serena Yvonne has won the Oldale Town Contest._

The announcer walked over to her and handed her a small green ribbon.

"All right, we just got our first ribbon!" Serena proclaimed, holding the ribbon high in the air, striking 'the pose'.

"Mudkip!" her Pokémon joined in, jumping into the air.

"Thank you, Mudkip," she told her Pokémon, "you were great today."

"That was a good match, Serena," she turned to see Tierno talking to her, "I guess I'll have to train harder if I want to beat you."

"It was nice seeing you again," she said, "where are you heading next?"

"I heard the Wallace Cup is taking place in Sootopolis City this year, so that's where I'm heading next." The Wallace Cup? Serena hadn't heard of it before, she would have to ask May.

"Well then, I'll see you later. Bye, Tierno."

"Goodbye, beautiful," he said, walking off. Serena groaned inwardly at that last comment. She hoped he would eventually grow out of that trait someday.

"Nice win, Serena," May congratulated once Serena met up with them at the Pokémon Center.

"Yeah, you were great," Max complimented.

"Thanks guys, I wouldn't have been able to do it without you," she told them, "but I have a question for you. What's the Wallace Cup?"

"Oh, well it was actually where I was planning on heading to next," May told her, "It's a big Pokémon Contest held every year in a different city each time. It's hosted and judged by Wallace, one of the first ever Top Coordinators. If you win the Wallace Cup you get a ribbon that can be used in any Grand Festival."

"So I'm guessing that's where you want to get your last ribbon?" Serena guessed.

"That's right. Though we still have a ways to go. We need to get to Slateport City to get a boat to Sootopolis City, and the most direct route to Slateport is closed for construction. So we'll have to take the long way."

Well that would just mean that Serena would have more time to practice before the Wallace Cup. She was sure Tierno would be training hard too, and she would have to be on the top of her game to beat him next time.

* * *

 **AN:** Well there we go, a longer chapter to partially make up for you guys having to wait so long. A lot of things happened this chapter. Tierno is in Hoenn, Serena got her first ribbon, the Wallace Cup is coming up, and Max caught Poochyena. Other characters from the anime will be at the Wallace Cup, but as for who… well you'll just have to wait until we get there.

 **Team Changes:**

Poochyena (Max): Moves: Bite, Fire Fang, Sand Attack, Howl.

That's all for now. Until next chapter, go out there, be great, and keep it simple.


	7. Rewriting

Hello, sorry it's been so long since I've updated this story. I will be rewriting this story and I'll put another AN when it's up. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Keep it simple.


	8. On Hold

**AN:** I have decided to put this rewrite on hold for a few reasons. For one, I haven't really had any motivation to write this particular story, because two, I've been planning two new ones.

The first one is called "The Hotel"

Summary: Not long after Ash left the Kalos region, he receives a message claiming that he has been invited to the Victor's Tourney and that he is allowed to bring two visitors. After a grueling decision, Ash invites Misty and Serena to go with him, unaware of the plans the two girls have in store for him.

And the second one is called "Core Heart"

Summary: After spending her whole life being called her mother's "Miracle Baby" Serena finally discovers just how special she is.

Keep it simple


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